School response to Ofsted is praised

LEADERS at one of Doncaster’s biggest schools have been ‘robust’ in taking action to turn it around, Government inspectors say.

Ofsted told Hall Cross School, on Thorne Road, it must improve after an inspection raised concerns in December.

Now inspectors have praised the efforts of the school to put measures in place to deal with criticisms.

Since the school was classified as requiring improvement, six staff have left, and one is on long term absence due to ill health.

A letter to the school from Government inspector John Young said that, while disappointed by the judgement, the academy’s leaders and governors accepted the findings of the last inspection at the school.

He said: “They have been robust in response to the gauntlet thrown down to them and have set about implementing, alongside their wider development strategy, a series of coherent strategic actions designed to improve the shortcomings identified.”

It said headteacher Pippa Dodgshon had been resolute and pragmatic in her response.

Mr Young added a lot of work had been done at the school to raise awareness among its staff of the high capabilities of many of the pupils at the school.

The school has also moved away from entering pupils into some exams early, which inspectors thought meant some pupils did not do as well as they could otherwise have done.

The inspection last year warned not enough teaching ensured pupils were making fast progress or learning well in all their lessons.

It also raised concerns that the feedback pupils received on their work did not always provide them with enough guidance on how to improve it.